Starter for internal-combustion engines



April 1, 1952 R. LEHMAN STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 14, 1948 2 SHEETS--SHEET l INVENTOR. R0 GER LEI-{MAN 16 zz-@ fly/A7.

R. LEHMAN STARTER FOR INTERNAL- Filed April 14, 1948 April 1, 1952 COMBUSTION ENGINES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR- Ro can LEI-IMAM Patented Apr. 1 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a starter for an internal combustion engine.

One of the principal. causes of fires in boats, of the pleasure type, is caused by the accumulation of explosive gasoline vapors in the bilge of the boat which oft times are ignited by a spark from the starting motor with the resulting disastrous explosion and fire. For some time, it has been the ambition of the fire underwriters to get the manufacturers of internal combustion engines, and especially the manufacturers of internal combustion engines for use on pleasure type boats, to raise. the electrical equipment of the engines in an effort to reduce the explosion and fire hazard.

More specifically, the present invention proposes the construction of novel starter mechanism for internal combustion engines, and. especially the internal combustion engines of pleasure type boats, which, due to the angle of inclination of mounting the motor, will cause the starter to be materially raised above any harmful fuel vapors which might collect in the bilge of the boat.

The present invention further proposes raising the starter of internal combustion engines of pleasure type boats in a manner to permit the starter motor to be easily removed for repairs or for replacement by a new starter motor without the necessity of entirely removing the engine from the engine bed.

A further objert' of the present invention is to provide a starter arrangement for a marine or power. plant engine in which the starter is mounted in a position to prevent moisturefrom entering. the electrical parts and to prevent resulting short circuiting.

Anotherobject is to position such a starter from an engine so that the two may be separated by'a fireproof door, or wall.

For further comprehension of the invention, and. of the objects. and. advantages thereof, reference will be had. to the following description and; accompanying drawings, and to the ap pended claims in which the various novel features. of theinvention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1. is. a. perspective view of a marine engine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a somewhat different marine engine constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 3 isa. diagrammatic. view showing how the engine is installed.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing how the engine is installed, and provided with a verticalstarter.

.. f; Fig. 5 isan enlarged view! of the starter of Fig. 4 alonawith the gear box open.

bracket.

Fig. 14 is a side View of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a front view of another bracket, combined with the water pump support bracket.

Fig. 16 is a side view of Fig. 15.

Fig. 1'7 shows a gasket used with bracket of Fig. 15.

The internal combustion engine It, according to this invention, may be any type of engine suitable for marine use, a Ford eight cylinder V-type gasoline engine being shown in Fig. 1. Theopening in the starter drive casing i I, where the starter motor housing usually is mountedis covered by a centralizer I2, see Figs. 7 and 8. The: centralizer is a disc having a hub l3 projecting from one side and a boss 14 extending from the other side, the boss being the same size as, and

fitting in, the starter drive casing opening. The hub and boss are bored and contain a bronze bushing [5 for the starter extension shaft Hi, see Figs. 9 and 10. Two diametrically opposite bolt holes I9 are also provided for'bolts 20, see Fig. 1, securing the centralizer to the starter drive casing II. The bendix starting mechanism, not shown, is disposed in the casing II and is connected to the extension lfi instead of to the motor armature. For this purpose, the end of exten sion [6 meeting the bendix starting mechanism is provided with a set screw hole 2|.

The starter motor'2'2' is shown in Fig. 1. Its

armature shaft 23 is connected to the extension 16 by a coupling. 24, see Figs. 11 and 12. The coupling is a small cylinder, having a set screw hole 25 for receiving a set screw. which will hold the coupling on the armature shaft, and another set screwhole' 26 for alignment with a set screw socket 21 in the adjacent end of extension 16.

Extension It has a keywayZ'B adjacent socket 2'1 and in alignment with a keyway 28 in the ecu-- pling 24. A key, notshown, is adaptedto be re ceived in the keyways 28' and 28 providing an additional non-rotative connectionv between the coupling 24 and .the extensionilfi.

While the coupling1124 is shown'on thedrawings as a cylindrical member, this is byway of. illusthe extension shaft I6 and the motor shaft with a means for attaching. the flanges together. Or...

if the extension shaft. l6. and the motor shaft are angularly disposed with. relation to each other, the coupling could be in the form of a universal joint.

The starter motor 22, when actuated, will rotate its armature shaft 23, shaft coupling 24, ex-

tension IE and the bendix starting mechanism to turn the flywheel and start the internal combustion engine.

The engine l of Fig. 2 is an in-line engine instead of a V-engine. The motor 22' is supported by a bracket 29, see Figs. 13 and 14. The bracket 29 has bolt holes 30 by which it is bolted to the starter motor housing, the holes of the starter'motor housing being employed which, in an automobile installation, would have been employed in bolting the starter motor housing to the starter drive casing. The bracket is an annulus with a rectangular flange 3| at its upper end provided with bolt holes for bolts bolting it to a motor support 33. A. positioning flange 34 locates the bracket relative to the motor support.

In Fig. 3, the engine of Fig. 1 is shown diagrammatically in the position in which it will be disposed for marine use, the centerline of the crankshaft being at an angle to the keel line so that the motor 22 is well above the bilge, which would not be the case if the motor were located at the flywheel.

In Figs. 4 and a modification of the invention is shown wherein the motor 22" is mounted vertically at the 'fiywheel housing H and is connected to the bendix drive 33 by bevel gears 82 housed in a gear box 40, the cover of which is removed in Fig. 5. Thus the motor shaft 23 carries one bevel gear and the bendix drive shaft 4! carries the other bevel gear.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the motor 22" is mounted on a line with the horizontal, that is to say, the engine is level and the starter motor 22" is not elevated. The motor 22 is supported on a bracket 42 on one side of a fireproof wall 43, while the internal combustion engine I0 is on the other side. The extension I6 is supported in a fixed bearing 44 between the engine and fire wall and in a stufling box 45 secured to the engine side of the fire wall. The installation of Fig. 6 is for industrial use in a factory where inflammable gases may be present, the fire wall and stuffing box preventing the flow of gases from the engine side to the motor side.

In Figs. -17, a bracket formed with a recess 60 for a starter motor is shown in which the bracket. has combined therewith a water pump support bracket. The motor, not shown, is bolted to an annular portion 46 which corresponds to the annular portion of bracket 29. An integral foot 41, for connecting with the engine support, extends laterally from the bracket at one side of the portion 46. The water pump bracket portion 48 is integral with portion 45 and foot 57 and has'a foot 49 extending from the same side as the motor will extend. Two chambers 50 and 5| are cast in the bracket at the side thereof remote from the foot 49. The gasket 52 for these chambers'is shown in Fig. 17. The pump bearing 53 is cast directly on the bracket.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to .be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

4 claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letter Patent is:

1. In combination, an internal combustion engine having a starter drive casing for a starter drive, said casing having a circular opening at said drive, a starter motor disposed at the other end of said engine from said casing in line with said opening, a bracket supporting said motor from said engine, said motor having an armature shaft extending toward said opening, an armature extension extending from said armature shaft to said opening for connection with said starter drive, a coupling connecting said shaft and extension, and a centralizer bolted to said casing over said opening and having a central bearing receiving said extension, said engine being mounted at an inclination and said casin and said motor being disposed at an angle parallel to the inclination of said engine with said casing disposed lower than said motor, said centralizer having a centralizing boss extending into said opening, said motor support bracket having an annulus bolted over the open face of the housing of said starter motor directed toward said starter drive casing, said annulus having a rectangularfiange bolted to said engine.

2. In a boat having an engine inclined with relation to its keel with the starter drive casing of the engine lowermost and a starter motor disposed at the upper end of the engine in line with the starter drive casing, a bracket supporting the starter motor on the engine, with its armature shaft extended toward the starter drive casing, an armature extension shaft arranged in end alignment with the armature shaft of the starter motor and projected into the starter drive casing, a coupling connecting the adjacent ends of said extension shaft and the armature shaft of the starter motor, and a centralizer disc bolted to the uppermost end of the starter drive casing, said disc having a central bearing opening through which said extension shaft enters the interior of the starter drive casing.

3. In a boat having an engine inclined with relation to its keel with the starter drive casing of the engine lowermost and a starter motor disposed at the upper end of theengine in line with the starter drive casing, a bracket supporting the starter motor on the engine with its armature shaft extended toward the starter drive casing, an armature extension shaft arranged in end alignment with the armature shaft of the starter motor and projected into the starter drive casing, a coupling connecting the adjacent ends of said extension shaft and the armature shaft of the starter motor, and a centralizer disc bolted to the uppermost end of the starter drive casing, said disc having a central bearing opening through which said extension shaft enters the interior of the starter drive casing, said centralizer disc having a centralizing boss extended into the starter drivecasing.

' ROGER LEI-IMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

